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February 28, 2008

Coty's latest celebrity manifesto: Give them Halle. The beauty giant has signed Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry to a scent development deal, which will involve the star developing a fragrance portfolio and appearing in its advertising."Halle is an iconic actress and symbolizes beauty to many generations," Steve Mormoris, senior vice president of global marketing at Coty Beauty US, told WWD. "She adds another dimension to the celebrity fragrance market. Halle has always been a little more mysterious, not quite as open with her personal life as some other stars. Her fragrances will allow her to present another facet of her personality to her fans."The first Berry fragrance products are expected to launch globally in spring 2009, Mormoris said. They will launch in "mid-tier" department stores, such as J.C. Penney, and then will move into the mass market. "We're committed to developing a project that will bring luxury to the mass market," said Mormoris. Generally, such celebrity deals include $3 million to $5 million up front, with a royalty of about 5 percent, according to industry sources. Mormoris declined to discuss the terms of Berry's deal. While star fragrance deals are not being announced at a pace like they were a few years ago, Mormoris emphasized that he does not see a slowdown in the celebrity beauty category. "It's clear to us that the celebrity segment is alive and well," he said. "It's constantly being reinvented and refreshed. These fragrances are entertainment, but in a different way."Coty's extensive celebrity portfolio also includes the scent brands of Jennifer Lopez, David and Victoria Beckham, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kimora Lee Simmons, Gwen Stefani, Celine Dion, Kate Moss and Tim McGraw.

They would go well with most things in your wardrobe, since few colours clash with gold or silver snakeskin. But the sensible girl would team these shoes with a crash helmet and an instruction manual. The 5 1/2in creations by Briton Antonio Berardi can hardly be described as high heels, since they lack the most important part - a heel.

For the bargain price of £1,800, the wearer will get to totter around with all her weight balanced on a thickened platform sole. Unsurprisingly, fashionistas are jostling to buy a pair. Stars including Gwyneth Paltrow and Uma Thurman invested in a black patent version costing more than £1,100, shortly after they were unveiled in Berardi's spring/summer collection in Paris. And Victoria Beckham apparently has a snakeskin pair.

Lincolnshire-born Berardi, 39, said he was inspired by Latin American music and 1980s post-modernism, adding: "When you walk, it is almost on tiptoe. You look really dainty."

But of course, foot doctors are advising against this kind of shoe:

Podiatrists, who have already warned about the health impact of high heels, were less impressed. Michael Paynton, chairman of the British Chiropody and Podiatry Association, said: "The heel is there to stabilise. "When you elevate the rear of the foot it makes you lean forward, which is bad for both the back and the foot. "The front of the foot ends up taking the weight of the bulk of your body, which can in turn do damage to the tendons in your legs by shortening them. "I certainly would not recommend these shoes."

February 27, 2008

Season 3 of "The Hills" kicks off March 24, and I for one can't wait. I can't wait I tell you! I initially started watching "The Hills" when it first kicked off because Lauren (LC) Conrad was going to be attending my alma mater, FIDM in Los Angeles, and I was curious to see what had changed at the school since I'd been there. But I soon became swept away by this completely overly dramatic young "reality" show/drama that I just couldn't look away... that, and the dresses on the show are cute.

dun, dun, dun! Will Audrina make up with Heidi? Will Lauren become fast friends with Spencer's sister? What's the real deal at Teen Vogue (the rumors are rampant)? Will Audrina get back together with JustinBobby? Will Heidi & Spencer please just leave town and never, ever come back? Tune in to find out what happens on March 24!

Fashion News: Say good-bye to fake Prada bags: Yesterday the city shuttered 32 vendors of counterfeit goods on Canal, Walker, Center, and Baxter streets, dubbed the "counterfeit triangle" by Mayor Bloomberg and the gazillion tourists looking for cheap holiday gifts. The city set up a sting shopping operation and sent undercover cops on more than 40 shopping trips to the area, where they bought things like Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses for $9, a Prada handbag for $40, and a Rolex for $80.

Though the police seized $1 million in goods from the 32 shops yesterday, $25 million worth of counterfeit goods were seized in 2007, three times as much as the previous year. Bloomberg said the counterfeit goods cheat the city out of $1 billion in sales tax a year and called it "organized crime."

So who's in trouble for all of this? A property owner, Vincent Terranova, who was already sued in 2006 by companies like Burberry and Marc Jacobs for leasing his space to illegal activities. No criminal charges have been made, but Terranova is going to have to pay considerable fines: He owes $1,000 for every day following the first notice of illegal activity, which was given in early January. That's, what, something like $50,000? He could have bought so many real Prada bags with all that money. What a waste.

Crackdown, smackdown! Counterfeiting is so widespread though, I don't know that they would ever be able to fully contain it. Your thoughts?

February 25, 2008

A few celebs opted to wear white to the 80th Annual Oscar Awards, and a few of them got it right. I particularly enjoyed Cameron's casual ponytail paired with her formal dress. That's not always the easiest to pull off. Keisha Whitaker looked stunning as well. She's always so elegant. And Renee looked great too, but does she ever wear anything other than Carolina Herrera? I didn't like the Cavalli dress on Jennifer Hudson, and Marion Cotillard'sdress (she was the "Best Actress" winner) looked too much like fish scales. Didn't like it.

February 24, 2008

Black will remain a classic look for as long as... forever. There were some beautiful black dresses on the 80th Annual Oscar Red Carpet. One of my fave looks was Jennifer Garner's. From her hair to her makeup to her dress, I just thought she was near flawless.

The 80th Annual Academy Awards will air later this evening, and we can expect a full on red carpet and everything! Hooray! For the writer's strike being over and things getting back to normal! Stay tuned...

p.s. my apologies for using the word "Hooray"... honestly, who says that? It's such a cornball word, lol!

February 22, 2008

Below are a few pics from Essence Magazine's first annual Black Women in Hollywood luncheon which was held on February 21 in Beverly Hills. The luncheon honored the legendary actress and activist, Ruby Dee, actress Jada Pinkett Smith, screenwriter/producer, Suzanne de Passe and young talent, Jurnee Smollett (not pictured)... that black CHANEL belt (on Star Jones, I want that!) and cutesy, flowy red cocktail dress(on Sally Richardson) were a couple of my favorite looks.

I recently got an opportunity to try Elizabeth Arden's new "Intervene" makeup with SPF 15 which claims to put a pause on aging signs, while smoothing away imperfections for brighter, even-toned skin. And I have to tell you, when I first opened it, I immediately thought it was too light, but I quickly found out that it wasn't (which only means I'm in need of a long vacation in some sun to get my "brown girl" back on... lol!) So after all that was established, I was off to my bathroom to test it out on myself. My skin tends to be somewhat blotchy at times, but I was pretty pleased with the Intervene and how it smoothed most of that away. It went on creamy, but left a kind of powdery finish that I liked. I'll tell you what else I like about the product. It's 100% oil free. That's great if you have oily skin. And the added SPF in makeup products is always a good thing. Going out in the sun with no skin protection at all is no good for anyone, no matter what your skin tone. Overall, I gave the Elizabeth Arden Intervene makeup a thumbs up.

February 10, 2008

Sony BMG sent over some newly launched Platinum Musicpass cards just in time for The Grammy's for a FREE music giveaway at Hip Candy! The Platinum Musicpass cards are digital album cards that deliver high quality files compatible with all MP3 players, ipods too! You'll be able to choose from 10 different artists on the card with each card good for 1 music download and Hip Candy will be giving away 10 cards each to 5 lucky winners via random draw! That's 10 songs each! Yay! To enter, just email your name along with your city and state to hipnificent1@yahoo.com with "Hip Candy/Sony Musicpass Giveaway" in the subject line, and you're entered! The winners will be selected via a random draw and announced on Friday, February 15, 2008. The deadline to enter will be Valentine's Day, Thursday, February 14 at 11:59 PM. Only one entry per person. So enter today to get your free music!

New York Fashion Week is now complete, (stay tuned for recaps of the week) now on to The Grammy's. Clive Davis' Pre-Grammy Party was held February 9 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, and celebs came out by the dozens. Some showed up cute, some did not...

I have a confession. I have a mild love affair with all things plaid. And even though Marc's Marc by Marc Jacobs Fall/08 collection wasn't all plaid in its entirety, the plaid-ness that was displayed in his show really moved me. As a matter of fact, Marc, you could box up that 1st black & white, dropped-waist, belted number and send that out to me today. Size 6. Size 8 if they run small... 'preciate it.

See even more beautiful hi-res shots from the Marc by Marc Jacobs Fall/08 collection over at PopCrunch.

The Michael Kors woman is stylish, not worried in the least about finances, lunches with the fashion elite, flies on private jets, serves on a bunch of boards, is incredibly swank and sophisticated and attends incredibly swank, sophisticated events. Did I miss anything? I really loved all the sumptuous, rich browns in his fall/winter collection. Fabulous. More from Michael Kors' Fall/08 collection below.

February 6, 2008

I was sooo excited to see the strong staying power of the mini dress at Proenza Schouler's Fall 2008 showcase. I can't understand why some people are so quick to write off a good trend. And the mini dress is definitely a good trend, IMO. Love it. More pics from the Fall 2008 Proenza Schouler collection below:

According to Tracy Reese, her clientele ranges from 16-year-olds to 60-plus-year-olds. The unifying factor? "They're women who aren't afraid to be noticed," said the designer backstage. That's a good thing considering her Fall show, in which she showed no fear in tossing together sequined florals with, say, an animal print and paisley wool in a single look.-Meenal Mistry, Style.com

Am I the only one that feels like these dresses should come with a warning label? I can't say that I would even attempt one of these dresses unless I was all the way right. BCBG's Max Azria has taken over the label (this is his 1st Leger collection) and although he's stayed pretty true to the Leger brand, he did his part to push it forward adding knits and wool accents. A few more looks from Herve Leger Fall 2008 below:

I was introduced to Erin Fetherston through her Go International line at Target. I bought her white chiffon and velvet doll dress(see below) and wore it recently to a party at my house to rave reviews. Erin's Fall 2008 collection is full of whimsy and romance... she said that her collection was inspired by Juliet of Romeo and Juliet, and you can certainly see it in her clothes. Check Erin's collection below:

February 3, 2008

The Fall '08 Baby Phat Show was a display of throwback, vintage, flapper-esque fashion. But Kimora also showcased some nice, wearable street style as well (picture link is below). And while her longer dresses seemed just a bit costume-y to me, I was all over her little shorty cocktail numbers. Nice. Especially the purple one paired with the little red Mary-Jane looking shoe. Super. Cute. More pics below.

February 2, 2008

The Red Dress Collection is shown each February to raise awareness for The Heart Truth, a program that raises awareness about heart disease in women. The 2008 Red Dress collection is the sixth show in the Bryant Park tents, where designers partner with celebrities to create and show off one-of-a-kind dresses.

The Red Dress—the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness—was designed to build awareness that women are at risk for heart disease, and motivate them to take action to reduce their risk. Follow The Heart Truth and learn about heart disease in women this February, and throughout the year, through a series of exciting events taking place across the nation!

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